1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to recovery devices for water extracted from the atmosphere, specifically to a gravity-assisted water saver system, and a method for its use, that can be connected so as to collect the condensate from an air conditioning system, sanitize it, and then divert it for constructive use.
2. Description of Prior Art
Most air conditioning condensate is an unutilized resource. The condensate extracted from air cooled by automobile air conditioning systems drips continuously in small quantities onto the pavement or parking surface beneath the associated vehicle, whereafter it evaporates into the atmosphere. Similarly, the slow drip of water extracted from the air cooled by residential air conditioning systems is typically directed to an outside location, where it is allowed to fall onto the ground under a discharge pipe for eventual evaporation. However, over time, a significant amount of condensate is produced, particularly by residential air conditioning systems. With the use of reclaimed water becoming more urgently needed and commonly accepted for an ever increasing variety of non-potable uses, as a result of the burgeoning populations and escalated depletion of potable water reserves worldwide, it would be useful to find an efficient and cost-effective means by which to reclaim air conditioning condensate and divert it to a useful purpose, such as the replacement of swimming pool water continuously being lost to evaporation so as to assure proper pump operation in associated filtration systems, toilet flushing, pressure washing, and other cleaning purposes.
One reason for a prior lack of interest in the recovery of air conditioning condensate is that by the time it is discharged from the air conditioning system, it is generally laden with bacteria and/or algae. Also, chlorinators commonly used for other purposes, such as those employed for the treatment of swimming pool water, were generally too large, too overpowering for the comparatively small amount of condensate that would require chlorination, and/or too expensive to allow easy adaptation for air conditioning condensate reclamation. However, since most homes in warm climates have air conditioning systems as well as swimming pools, and further since potable water is often used to replace the continual amount of swimming pool water lost to evaporation, a chlorinating system that could appropriately sanitize air conditioning condensate for its use as replacement water for swimming pools would preserve significant amounts of potable water and provide a benefit to the public, particularly where less groundwater depletion would be involved. For homes having air conditioning systems but not a pool, air conditioning condensate could be reclaimed for cleaning use. The present invention provides such a system and no similar invention is known, nor one that provides all of its advantages.
The primary object of the present invention is to provide a sanitizing system for air conditioning condensate so that it can be reclaimed and diverted for constructive use. It is also an object of the present invention to provide a sanitizing system for air conditioning condensate that is gravity-assisted for cost-effective operation. It is a further object of the present invention to provide a sanitizing system for air conditioning condensate intended for diversion to a swimming pool, that can maintain chlorine levels sufficiently high in the condensate to kill microorganisms, including algae and bacteria, but not so high as to be inconsistent with chlorine levels needed in the recipient swimming pool. A further object of the present invention to provide a sanitizing system for air conditioning condensate and method that prevents corrosive fumes from backing up into the air conditioning system from which the condensate is derived, or from being discharged into the atmosphere. It is also an object of the present invention to provide a sanitizing system for air conditioning condensate that is adapted for use with readily available sources of chlorine products commonly employed for swimming pool water sanitization purposes, or laundry bleaching products. A further object of this invention is to provide a sanitizing system for air conditioning condensate that is easily adapted for use with different sizes of air conditioning condensate discharge pipe for prompt installation and/or retrofit to existing air conditioning systems.
As described herein, properly manufactured and used, the present invention would provide a sanitizing system for air conditioning condensate that reclaims it, treats it, and then diverts it for subsequent use instead of allowing it to be discarded as a waste by-product. The present invention can be used for new construction, as well as a retrofit unit for existing construction. When swimming pool use is contemplated for the treated condensate, the present invention would have a chlorination chamber with a substantially round cross-sectional configuration that is slightly larger than the type of chlorine tablet typically used for swimming pool water sanitization and further configured to maintain chlorine levels in the reclaimed water within a range sufficiently high for killing microorganisms, including bacteria and algae, but low enough to be consistent with levels considered acceptable for swimming pool use. When other uses for the treated condensate are contemplated, such as but not limited to flushing toilets, laundry bleaching tablets could be substituted for the swimming pool chlorine tablets, and the chlorination chamber would be adapted accordingly, either as a design consideration during manufacture or after sale with the use of one or more removable inserts. Since it is gravity-assisted and does not require the expense of a pump, the present invention is cost-effective for widespread use. To assist movement of the air conditioning condensate toward the exit opening of the chlorination chamber, the bottom surface of the chlorination chamber is inclined, downwardly tapering, or has another configuration or combination of features that uses gravity to move the condensate into temporary contact with the sanitizing means and, after an adequate amount of elapsed time when the desired amount of sanitization is achieved, to subsequently assist in the flow of treated condensate from the chlorination chamber. A P-trap on the inlet side of the chlorination chamber prevents corrosive fumes from entering the air conditioning system from which the condensate is derived, while a cap removably attached to the top of the chlorination chamber prevents hazardous fumes from escaping into the atmosphere. The removable cap is also configured to permit easy introduction of new chlorine or bleach tablets into the chlorination chamber by maintenance personnel, prevent unwanted debris from inadvertently entering the chlorination chamber, and make the chlorine or bleach tablets positioned within the chlorination chamber inconvenient for access by unauthorized persons, including children. Thus, a locking, child-resistant, or childproof cap is also considered within the scope of the present invention. Chlorination chambers made at least in part from transparent or translucent materials facilitate the monitoring of chlorine tablet usage. A tapered configuration in the distal ends of the inflow tubing and discharge tube attached to the chlorination chamber permits ready use of the present invention with different sizes of air conditioning condensate discharge pipe, as well as different sizes of tubing used to transport the reclaimed water to its intended location of use.
The description herein provides preferred embodiments of the present invention but should not be construed as limiting the scope of the air conditioning condensate chlorinating system. For example, variations in the height, inside diameter, and cross-sectional configuration of the chlorination chamber used; the type of chlorine-resistant material from which the chlorination chamber, cap, inflow tubing, and discharge tube are made; the use of ridges to direct condensate within the chlorination chamber; the configuration and dimension of any ridges used; the inside diameter dimension, length dimension, and orientation of the discharge tube; and the inclined means used for gravity assist in moving condensate from the chlorination chamber and into the discharge tube; other than those shown and described herein, may be incorporated into the present invention. Thus, the scope of the present invention should be determined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents, rather than being limited to the examples given.